Life & Style

Flaky Multigrain Pie Crust

If you’re looking for an alternative to simple refined white flour crusts, this delicious-tasting, light, and flaky pie crust is a perfect fit.

This recipe can be doubled and the dough refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. (Let the frozen dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out.) Makes enough for 2 single-crust pies or 1 double-crust pie, 8 to 9 inches in diameter.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

Recipe

1. Place the white and whole wheat flours, rolled oats, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process until the mixture is combined and the oats have been pulverized to a flourlike meal. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal.

2. With the machine running, add the ice water and process just until the dough holds together loosely in a ball, 5 to 8 seconds. Do not allow the dough to form a solid mass or it will be overworked. Test the dough by pinching a small amount between your fingers. If the dough sticks together, it is ready. If the dough is not moist enough to form a cohesive mass, add an additional ½ tablespoon ice water, process briefly, and test again.

3. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of parchment paper and divide it in half. Form each half into a flat disk. Wrap a piece of parchment paper around each piece of dough to cover it, and refrigerate until chilled, 20 to 30 minutes. (If you intend to chill the dough overnight or freeze it, wrap the pieces tightly in plastic wrap. The wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the frozen dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.)

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator (for a single-crust pie you’ll need one disk of dough; for a double-crust pie you’ll need both disks), and open the parchment paper to a flat rectangle. If it was refrigerated for more than an hour, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes to soften slightly. (If the dough is too cold or firm, it will crack when you try to roll it out.) Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with all-purpose flour. Roll the dough into a round about ¹⁄₈ inch thick and 2 inches larger than your pie plate.

5. Fold the dough in half or drape it over the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie plate. Press the dough firmly into the pie plate and brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush. If there are holes or cracks, press the dough back together or patch them with small bits of the overhanging dough.

6. For a single-crust pie, trim the dough with a pair of kitchen scissors, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the edge under to form a double layer, and crimp or flute it.

7. For a double-crust pie, fit the dough for the bottom crust into the pie plate and trim the dough even with the rim. Roll out the second disk of dough. Place the filling in the bottom crust and place the dough for the second crust on top. Trim the top crust with scissors, leaving a ¹⁄₂-inch overhang. Fold the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust, and crimp or flute to seal.

8. Cut three slits in the center of the top crust with a sharp knife to allow steam to vent as the pie bakes.